


time in a bottle

by kaorujin



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/F, time traveler's wife au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-13 05:49:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19595695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaorujin/pseuds/kaorujin
Summary: “Perfect! Thank you, Lena. I’m Kara,” Kara says as she emerges from the bush, with the red blanket wrapped around her shoulders like a cloak.“Lex said I shouldn’t talk to strangers. They could hurt me,” Lena mutters as she takes a few steps away from Kara.Kara just smiles, reassuringly. “I know. But I’m not a stranger. I do know you. Well, future you. I’m a time traveler.”orLena first meets Kara as a child and Kara keeps showing up in her life throughout the years again and again as a kid, a teen, and an adult.The Time Traveler's Wife AU





	time in a bottle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Heartichoke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heartichoke/gifts).



Lena Luthor first meets Kara Danvers on a Tuesday afternoon at the tender age of eight. She escapes a boring Latin lesson, deciding a picnic would be much more fun. Her favorite chef helps her pack a basket, and she races to her favorite spot in the forest surrounding her estate. It’s exhilarating as she evades the other house staff and takes off across the field for the forest -- that is until she takes a tumble and sends her picnic basket flying. Now, she’s sitting on the forest floor on the edge of the estate trying to comfort herself and stop crying. Her knee is scraped, her picnic basket lays askew on the ground, and she’s in so, so, so much trouble. 

Her sobs are interrupted when she hears rustling among the bushes. She sucks up her tears and scrambles to her feet. Mustering as much courage as her little body can, she calls out, “Whoever you are, you need to leave! This is Dad’s forest and he’ll arrest you for trespassing!” 

She only gets a feminine laugh in reply. The audacity shakes Lena’s little shoulders with frustration. “I’m serious! He has a lot of money! You’ll be in prison for a long time!” she yells again, any sadness replaced by sheer anger at this giggling bush.

“Stop laughing!” she shouts, her face botching even more as she wipes her tears away. “I’m going to call for help. Lex! Lex, someone’s here!”

“Lena, wait!” the bush calls out, a blonde head popping up out of the shrubbery.

“How do you know my name?” Lena asks, scrambling away from the very real lady who can very much be dangerous. Lex’s warned her about this. Weirdo adults that will take her, so they can get to her dad’s money. Lex said they were kidnappers. She should run away.

“Wait, wait, Lena, don’t run. I’ll explain. I promise. But first, Lena, can you hand me the picnic blanket, please?” The blonde stranger gestures her head to the discarded picnic blanket and reaches out her hand. “I promise. I’m not going to hurt you. I just need the blanket. I don’t have any clothes on.”

Lena knows she should run away. She shouldn’t be talking to strangers. Let’s alone weird bush ladies. It’s the smart thing to do. 

But the stranger just looks at her patiently, and she finds herself walking over to the blanket. She hands the blanket over to the outstretched hand. It might not be the smartest thing to have done, but the bright smile she receives in return makes her feel like it was exactly the right thing to do.

“Perfect! Thank you, Lena. I’m Kara,” Kara says as she emerges from the bush, with the red blanket wrapped around her shoulders like a cloak. 

“Lex said I shouldn’t talk to strangers. They could hurt me,” Lena mutters as she takes a few steps away from Kara.

Kara just smiles, reassuringly. “I know. But I’m not a stranger. I do know you. Well, future you. I’m a time traveler.”

“No way, those don’t exist!” Lena scoffs. She may be a child but she’s not dumb.

“They do,” Kara says as she crouches down to Lena’s level. “It’s okay if you don’t believe me; but if you do, then I’m going to be back in two weeks okay. Can you remember to bring some of your brother’s clothes for me?” 

“Why?” Lena asks, even though she knows she shouldn’t be encouraging this weirdo and her time-traveling nonsense. 

“Well, one of the weird rules of time traveling is that my clothes can’t come with me. That’s why I needed your blanket today,” Kara explains. 

“I don’t have much time,” Kara says as before Lena’s very eyes it looks like her hand is disappearing from where it’s clutching her blanket. “I have to go, but I’ll be back in two weeks, okay. Right here. June 15th. Bring Lex’s clothes. Oh, and food!” 

And then she’s gone.

Her blanket lays slumped on the forest floor right where Kara was standing.

//

“Lex, what day is it?” Lena asks from her spot on the sofa. 

“June 15th,” Lex responds as he flips another page in his book. Lena closes her book and hops onto the ground.

“I’m going to go play outside,” Lena says as she sets her book on the shelf.

“Alright, I’ll cover for you. Just be back before dinner,” Lex replies, not even looking up from his book. 

Lena makes her way out of the library and sneaks into the west wing. She looks around to make sure no maids are around before she tiptoes into Lex’s room and pulls a shirt off the hanger. She also grabs a pair of dress pants she knows Lex doesn’t like from his drawer. She finds a tote bag in her room to stuff the clothes in. Then, she sneaks her way out of the mansion and takes off for the forest.

When she reaches the clearing, no one’s there. She pants softly as she struggles to catch her breathe. She clutches at the bag in her hands and feels absolutely foolish. 

Of course time travelers weren’t real. 

She’s about to turn back when a voice calls out, “Hey, you came back.”

Too caught up In her joy at being right, Lena fails to stop herself from blurting out, “You’re real!”

Kara just laughs from her spot behind the bush, “Yes, I am very much real. I hope you have clothes in that bag.”

“I do!” Lena confirms as she rummages for them before tossing them to Kara.

Kara emerges from behind the bush in Lex’s clothes which hang just a bit loose over her. “Hi, Lena.”

“You look younger,” Lena blurts out again, the awe apparent on her face. 

“That’s because I am,” Kara confirms. “I’m sixteen.” 

“I’m eight. But I’m turning nine in a few months,” Lena says, wanting to prove herself to be mature. Like Lex. 

“I know,” Kara smiles, “October, right?”

“How do you know?”

“Time traveler, remember? You and I will be good friends in the future. When we’re older. Now I hope you also have food in that bag; I’m starving.” 

Lena hands over the bag and lets Kara rummage through. She pulls out a sandwich that Lena’s favorite chef snuck for her and lays the picnic blanket she found inside on the floor. She plops herself down and digs into the sandwich. 

She notices Lena shyly standing and watching her, so she pats the spot across from her. “C’mon, you can sit. I won’t bite. I promise,” Kara says before taking another bite of the sandwich. Through the mouthful, she muffles, “Okay, I do bite. I just won’t bite _you_.” 

That gets a giggle out of Lena, who relaxes and takes a seat on the blanket. 

“Well, go ahead. I know you’re brimming with questions,” Kara says as she finishes the sandwich and leans back on her hands to bask in the sunlight filtering through the treetops. 

“Have you always been able to time travel? Do you know how it works? Do you know when you’re going to go? Or where?” Lena rambles out, unable to hide her excitement. Kara just laughs as she listens to Lena go on and on.

“Okay in order: no, I haven’t always been able to time travel. We think it’s a genetic anomaly that’s triggered by the yellow sun’s rays. I kinda feel like a tingling before I start to fade then whoosh, I’m gone. And I never know exactly where I’m going but I have a tendency to reappear in the same spots. Like here for example,” Kara finishes gesturing to the clearing around them. 

“Here?” Lena asks, shocked. “Why?”

“Not sure,” Kara shrugs, as she looks through the bag and pulls out a chess board, “I guess there’s some force of attraction or something.”

“Like magnets!” Lena exclaims. Lex taught her how they work last year while she watched him tinker with circuits.

“Yep. Or like gravity too. I get pulled into big events. And usually you’re around for some reason.” Kara confirms as she sets up the board. 

“I’m a big event?” Lena asks shyly, unused to the attention.

Kara smiles at her softly, “You’re going to be very special to me.”

“Anyways, wanna play?” Kara nudges Lena, who smilingly wider than Kara’s ever seen her at this age.

“You play?” Lena perks up even more if that was possible. Kara is starting to be even cooler than Lex.

“Of course. You taught me. Or will teach me” Kara says as she turns the board so that the white pieces face Lena. “Here, I know you like to start.”

//

Kara returns a few times intermittently over the course of the summer, all different ages ranging from a young teen to an adult. 

Lena marks the dates in a calendar she begs her dad to get her, using the excuse that she wants to play business like him. He simply smiles and pats her head, but a calendar and journal appears on her bed the next day.

They start a routine. Kara tells her the next date. Lena marks it down. When the day arrives, she packs a pair of clothes, the picnic blanket, chess, and food into a tote bag and races to the clearing. True to her word, Kara appears behind the bush. She dresses, eats, and they play chess as Lena asks questions.

One day, she’s beating twenty-two year old Kara at chess when Kara speaks up, “Lena, I have something important to tell you. The next time I visit, it’s really important that you follow what I say, okay?”

“Mhmm,” Lena confirms as she moves her knight, “Check.”

“The next time I visit, it will be the first time I travel,” Kara starts as she moves her King, “I’m going to be scared and confused. I need you to bring some of your clothes and food. And I need you to bring your keyboard you’ve been telling me about. I need you to play me a song.”

Lena moves her bishop. “How old will you be?”

“I’m going to be twelve,” Kara says, no longer paying attention to the board. “I just lost my home and I’m very, very sad. I’m going to miss my mom and dad.”

“Oh, I get it,” Lena says quietly, “I miss my mom too.”

She noticeably shrinks into herself so much that Kara moves the board aside and hugs her. Physically hugs her. She’s solid and real and not just Lena’s imagination. 

“Can you repeat these words to me, Lena?” Kara requests, keeping her arm around Lena’s frame. She says a string of sounds that do not resemble any language Lena’s ever heard, not even when she sits in on her dad’s business meetings. But Lena tries repeating it back anyways.

“Wow, you’re a pro. Can we try one more time?” Kara asks and repeats the phrase. They go back and forth until Kara nods. “Perfect, Lena. My english isn’t very good at first, so say that first. Then play me a song. Your favorite one.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means, ‘Hi, I’m Lena. I’m a friend.’”

“What language is it?” Lena asks, looking up at Kara. Kara simply smiles down at her. Lena can feel her arm’s weight disappear from her shoulders. 

“I’ll tell you one day, but I have to go. Remember, September 22nd. Bye for now, Lena.”

“Bye, Kara,” Lena says softly to the empty forest. She pulls out her journal and writes down what she did with Kara today. Then she marks the date on her calendar, packs up, and goes home.

//

Lena Luthor first meets Kara Zor-El on a Thursday afternoon a month and a day before her own birthday. Following the instructions she received a few weeks ago, she packs a pair of her own clothes, food, the picnic blanket, and her keyboard. She bids goodbye to Lex, promising to be back before dinner, and takes off for the forest.

She lays the blanket at the clearing and waits. 

And waits.

And waits.

Her almost-nine year old patience can only take so long, so she pulls out the keyboard and starts practicing. She’s not as good as Lex, but her teacher says she’s very good for her age. A prodigy, she tells her. Lena thinks she’s just being nice since she’s a kid. It doesn’t matter -- she likes how the piano sounds and it reminds her of her mom, so she attends every lesson and practices with all of her efforts. 

She’s playing one of her songs when suddenly a young, pale body appears on the blanket next to her, clutching her ears in fetus position. And naked. Very much naked. It’s just her back but _still._

Lena yelps and covers her eyes with her hands. But then she remembers she brought a pair of clothes in her bag and attempts to pull them out while still keeping her eyes closed. It takes a bit of struggling, but she manages to pull out the clothes. She gestures them at Young Kara, or rather in Kara’s general direction since she still has her eyes closed. 

Then she remembers the phrase Kara taught her and repeats them once softly, and then again after she clears her throat, “ _Hi, I’m Lena. I’m a friend._ Umm, I brought you some clothes.” 

Young Kara still doesn’t move, but Lena doesn’t give up. She opens her eyes, although averting her gaze to the side. She blushes, but she tries again. “ _Hi, I’m Lena. I’m a--”_

A gurgle of sounds comes from Kara that Lena definitely does not understand. “Sorry, I don’t understand. I speak English. But I’m learning French and German if you speak those? I also know a little Italian and Span--”

A rumble comes from Kara that Lena definitely does understand. “Oh you’re hungry! Here, I brought a sandwich and some juice.”

Lena grabs the bag and quickly pulls out the items, gently placing them in front of Kara’s back. “Okay, I’m going to turn around. Please put on the clothes.”

Lena turns and counts the seconds as she hears Kara rustling behind her. Reaching three hundred, she slowly turns around, hoping that five minutes was enough time for Kara to take the hint and change. Still, she keeps her eyes closed for a bit longer before slowly opening them. 

Luckily for her, Kara has slipped on the shirt and shorts. She’s silently chewing on the sandwich, already having eaten half of it by the time Lena faces her. 

“Are you Lena?” Kara asks her softly, the words pronounced carefully as if the language is still foreign to her. 

Oh, she does know English, although a little stifled, Lena notes. 

“Yes,” Lena confirms. “And you’re Kara?”

“Yes,” Kara confirms. “Me. Another me told me of you. Ah, it’s complicated.”

“It’s okay. I know. About you.” 

“You do?” Kara asks, looking up into Lena’s eyes. Her brows crinkle in the way older Kara’s does when she’s stuck on a chess move. “How?”

“You. The older you told me,” Lena explains. That’s enough of an explanation for the Kara sitting in front of her as she finishes the sandwich and examines the juice box. It takes her a second, but she figures out how to puncture the box with the plastic straw. Lena watches as she takes a tentatively sip, pauses to take in the taste, and then smiles before proceeding to take a much stronger pull from the box. 

Kara looks so peacefully there, sipping on her juice box as the sun rays illuminate her. Lena’s always found Kara to be pretty but like in the adult way when she goes to parties with her family and sees the other business people. But this Kara, she’s only a few years older than Lena. She reminds Lena of the older girls in her school that she sometimes catches herself starting at from her desk. Like when Veronica Sinclair pushes her out of her chair and took her crayons but Lena could only think _wow pretty_. 

Almost like a … crush. 

_No, no, no_ , Lena thinks. She can’t have a crush on Kara. That would be weird. Kara’s her only real friend besides Lex. It’s gonna be weird. She can’t make it weird. _No, no, no --_

A sudden gasp of pain from Kara cuts Lena from her spiraling thoughts. She focuses back in on Kara who’s abandoned the empty juice box in favor of clutching her ears again. 

“Kara, what’s wrong?” she asks softly, wanting to reach out but also hesitating in case it’s the wrong move.

“Loud,” Kara whines out.

“Loud?” Lena asks as she tries to listens and hears, well, nothing. The forest is completely empty with only the occasional bird chirping and leaves rustling from a slight breeze. 

“People talking. Loud,” Kara whimpers as she crumbles into herself and assumes a fetal position again.

Lena has no idea what Kara could be hearing but seeing her friend in so much pain _hurts_ . She starts to panic. She’s never had to comfort anyone before. She’s only almost nine and everyone in the Luthor household is a brick wall. She’s never even seen anyone at home close to tears except for -- _oh, oh._

“Um, listening to music helps me feel better. Is it okay if I play you a song?” Lena asks tentatively. She gets no response from Kara but she still pulls out her keyboard and softly taps a few notes. She looks up to see Kara’s reaction -- to see if she’s making Kara’s condition worse. To her surprise, Kara shifts closer. 

They spend the rest of the afternoon with Lena playing her favorite songs on the keyboard as Kara lays on her side close to Lena, watching her hands glide across the black and white keys. Lena plays and plays until Kara fades away, leaving her clothes next to Lena’s lap.

//

The encounter with the young version of Kara leaves Lena brimming with questions. So, she writes them down in her journal. What language was Kara speaking? Why did her ears hurt? Will she ever appear younger than that age? God what if she has to take care of a baby? Lena doesn’t know how to take care of a baby. 

She visits the forest every day, hoping to meet an older version of Kara that will answer all of her questions, but the days go by without a trace of Kara. Then the week is over and the worse news arrives. 

School is starting again.

Now don’t get her wrong, she loves learning and her teachers are very nice to her, but it’s just -- school doesn’t have friends. And more importantly:

School doesn’t have Kara. 

And the part that makes her pull out her old teddy bear and crush it against her chest like she’s six again is that she never got the chance to tell Kara. What if Kara comes back and she’s not here? What will Kara do without clothes?

She lets herself sit with her teddy until her chest stops heaving and she doesn’t feel like her world is ending. Then she stands up and takes a deep breathe. Her world isn’t ending. She’s turning nine now, and she knows what to do. 

“Thank you, Mr. Theodore,” she mumbles as she holds him up and looks him in the eyes. She gives him one last snuggle and a kiss on the head before she tucks him back in her chest. “Be good. I’m going to miss you while I’m at school.”

She pulls out a page of her journal and writes a letter to Kara. Then she sneaks into the kitchen and steals a plastic bag and granola bars from the cabinets. Returning to her room, she pulls out from her chest some of her father’s old clothes that she took previously. She’s not sure what ages Kara will be but at least they’ll run big instead of running too small. She packs them into the bag along with the granola bars on top of the note. 

She leaves the bag next to Kara’s bush and hopes Kara finds it.

The very next day, she’s on a plane headed for Ireland for boarding school.

//

Three months.

It takes three long months for Lena’s feet to the touch the grounds of their Metropolis holiday mansion. It’s oddly warm for December, so the second the chauffeur opens the doors of the Luthor mansion, Lena’s off like a jet to reach the clearing. She greets the staff politely as she maneuvers to the back doors. Looks like neither Lex nor her parents are here yet. Perfect.

She almost trips over a root, a log, a rock, and her own feet but she makes it to the spot in record time. She hunches over as she struggles to catch her breath. Okay, no running that fast without her inhaler, she notes to herself.

Once she manages to breathe without wheezing, she makes her way to the bush. Kara’s clothes are haphazardly in a bunch behind the bush, but luckily, they’re hidden from view if observed from the path. It takes her a bit to locate the bag, but she notices a bit of the hand sticking out of the leaves and pulls. The empty bag comes out, slightly moist and overall gross. Only the wrappers of the granola bars are inside. 

No note. 

Lena folds up the gross bag inside out to minimize her exposure to the mud but makes a mental note to throw it out in a trash can later. She also picks up the dirty clothes to take home for a wash. They must be even more disgusting than the bag given that they were on the forest floor for who knows how long. 

She makes her way up to her room, ready to rid herself of the grim. She’ll have to stow away these clothes until her dad gets here, so she can sneak them into the hamper. She makes to tuck them away into a corner of her closet when she notices the feeling of something in the pants’ pocket. 

Reaching in, she feels paper. Pulling it out, she realizes it’s her note. The folds are soft and fibrous, as if it’s been read and folded back up. Over and over. 

She runs her fingers over the creases like she can feel Kara’s presence in the note. In her clothes. In the wrappers. 

Kara’s real and Lena didn’t just imagine her. 

She’s real and she was here and she’ll be back.

It’s the last thought that has Lena opening the note. If she left a note for Kara, maybe Kara left her one too.

She scans the note and sees it. Right underneath her own name is a date. Signed K.

12/20.

Three days from now.

//

“Hey, Stranger,” a voice Lena hasn’t heard in months calls out, startling Lena so much that she almost breaks the keyboard she’s playing.

“Don’t do that!” she scolds indignantly, embarrassment blazing across her cheeks. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Kara replies but she doesn’t sound too sorry given that she’s obviously laughing. “Can I have some clothes please?”

Lena throws the bag over, hoping it hits Kara in the head. 

Still the second Kara walks out, fully dressed, Lena can’t stop herself from hugging her. It’s so sudden that it must knock some air from Kara because she hears Kara grunt before a warm hand wraps around her shoulder. It pats once. Then twice. “Oh hey, I missed you too, Lena. I got your note. Thank you for that.”

They hug for longer than Lena’s hugged anyone, even Lex. Suddenly shy, Lena extracts herself. “Sorry,” she mumbles as she makes some distance between herself and what appears to be a teenaged Kara. She’s lanky like Lex but she’s still swimming in her father’s button down and blazer. “I didn’t know what age you’d be so I brought Dad’s clothes just in case.”

“Hey no need to be sorry,” Kara affirms as she closes the distance Lena made. “I’m sorry I scared you. I thought I’d have one last trip to explain what happened before you went back to school.”

“You didn’t scare me,” Lena denies, puffing out her chest slightly. “I know what it’s like to miss people.”

Kara amused smile turns soft. Quiet. “That’s right, you’re nine now right? Happy late birthday.”

“Thank you,” Lena replies. “Are you hungry? I brought soup.”

The mention of food makes Kara’s smile dial up ten-fold. “You, Lena Luthor, are my favorite person.”

They settle onto the picnic blanket Lena was sitting on before Kara popped into existence. Kara takes off the blazer and drapes it over Lena’s shoulders. “In case you get cold.”

“It’s actually kinda warm for December,” Lena informs as she shrugs off the jacket, handing it back to Kara. “You’re not cold?”

“Huh, Alex gets cold all the time. Californians, I guess,” Kara says as she takes back the jacket and rolls it up so she can lay her head on it.

“Who’s Alex? You’re from California?”

“Nope, soup first. Questions later,” Kara demands as she leans her head on one elbow and holds out the other hand.

Rolling her eyes, Lena grabs the container next to her keyboard and hands it to Kara. Kara takes it like it’s the key to eternal happiness. 

Sitting back up, Kara cracks the tumbler open and takes a big gulp. She exhales out, making a cloud of fog with her breathe, wipes her mouth dramatically with her arm and declares, “I love soup!” 

It’s so ridiculous that Lena can’t help but laugh. Kara plasters on a goofy smile and takes another chug. “Okay, so Alex is my adoptive sister. And yes, we live in California.”

“Adoptive?”

“Yep, just like you. I was adopted when I was twelve. By the way, did you bring crackers?”

Lena just pouts.

“All right, it’s okay -- no crackers. Keep asking away, Captain Curious. I know you’re dying with questions.”

“What language were you speaking? I’ve learned a lot but none of them sound like that.”

“It’s called Kryptahniuo. I’m Kryptonian.”

“Kryptahniuo,” Lena repeats to herself but not quite catching the way Kara rolled her R. “Where’s Kryptonia?”

“Krypton,” Kara corrects. She points up. “Can we actually skip this? It’s still fresh for me so maybe you can ask an older me about this.” 

“Oh.” Lena sees how Kara smiles but it’s small. Tight. She thinks back to the small girl clutching her ears. So she asks instead about time traveling. 

She learns more about Kara’s genetic anomaly that causes her to jump from time period to time period. They’re -- Kara’s adoptive parents -- aren’t quite sure about how it works but they think the yellow sun triggered the genes’ activation. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll learn more genetics later, and you can ask again. But yeah, that’s why you’ll only ever see me as young as twelve,” Kara finishes her explanation and the last of the soup. She licks her lips and caps the container. 

“The yellow sun?” Lena asks. “Isn’t the sun always yellow?”

“Sorry, we don’t have that much time to get into all of that,” Kara smiles apologetically, “Quick, pass me your journal. I’ll write down the next dates I know.” 

Kara takes the journal and scribbles down four dates. One in two weeks. The others during the summer. Her hand starts to fade from the pen before she can get the last number down. “Bye for now, Lena.”

“Wait before you go, how old are you now?” Lena asks, “Like the today’s you?”

“I’m twelve. You’ve met today’s me. And she likes you a lot.”

The pen and journal drop, bouncing once against the blanketed floor.

//

"So, I'm not going to see you again for another six months?" Lena asks as she plays, fingering hitting the black and white keys skillfully. "You can't visit me at school?"

"Sorry, it doesn't quite work like that," a twenty-seven year old Kara replies from where she's basking in the sun. "I can travel temporally but the spatial is something more tricky. I can only travel to places I've physically visited during my life. And only if they're significant somehow." 

Lena stops playing to contemplate that. "Significant like special? You said something about big events before."

"No, significant like stats. Future you and Alex invented some new math to describe it. In simple terms, the more attractive a place I've physically visited is, the more I'll pop up. But it has to be significant based on some curve you made." 

"I invented it?" Lena asks baffled but unable to hide her awe. Lex was the protégé when it came to inventing things. Not her.

"Yep, you're one smart cookie," Kara says, sitting up. She reaches for Lena's keyboard and slides it around their abandoned chess game. "Speaking of school, are you excited to go back?"

With nothing to do with her hands, Lena starts to fidget. It's not that she doesn't like school. Her school is nice. It has a big pond, master chefs that make the best pies, and she can get lost in its library for days. But things changed this year. Her teachers thought it'd be better to give her special studies for her "advancement". Calculus. Electromagnetism. 18th century European literature. The works. And Lena likes the challenge, but not everyone is happy with her special treatment. Her friends from last year won’t let her sit with them anymore. 

At her small confession, Kara scoops in and places a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not really supposed to tell people about the future, but you’re going to make a wonderful friend this semester. His name is Jackson Spheer and he just transferred from England. He’s going to be one of your best friends.”

Maybe it’s the prospect that she’ll have not just one but two good friends, or maybe it’s the encouraging look in Kara’s eyes, but the cold feeling that settled in Lena’s chest when school started fades away. 

With the weight of Kara’s hand on her shoulders, she feels grounded. Sure. She returns Kara’s smile.

“Hey Lena, one last thing before I go, did you tell anyone about me?” Kara asks, voice suddenly firmer. More serious.

Lena shakes her head. She actually hasn’t -- not even Lex. At first, it was because she wasn’t sure Kara was real. Then, she was too caught up in seeking Kara out and maybe a bit of keeping her friend to herself. A secret just for her. 

“Okay good,” Kara says, relief evident in her voice and on her features, “Can we keep it a secret then? Just between you and me?”

Lena nods. Of course she can. If that’s what Kara wants, then sure.

“Not even Lex, okay?” Kara grasps both of her shoulders, “I know he’s your brother but not even him.”

Lena wants to ask why. Why did Kara mention Lex specifically but before she can ask, the weight of Kara’s hands start to disappear.

Kara’s voice fades slowly along with her physical being, “I have to go now. I’ll see you in June. I want to hear all about Jack, okay?”

Her last sentence is only a faint whisper. “Bye for now, Lena.”

//

True to Kara’s word, Lena Luthor meets Jack Spheer that semester in school. He’s a shy boy from the UK. He’s bigger than the other kids yet lanky, towering over the others. His dark shaggy hair and brown skin makes him a prime target at school. 

Lena wins him over during lunch when Jack pulls out a container of home cooked food that the bullies sneer at. They loudly declare it smells and they pick it up, ready to dump it onto Jack’s head when Lena walks over and clears her throat.

“What do you want, Luthor?” the leader jeers, “You wanna get caught up with the likes of his fatass?” His lackies snicker to themselves.

The whole courtyard is starting at them now. Lena may be quiet and tries to keep to herself, but she’s a still a Luthor. Her usual wallflower behavior actually draws more eyes to them because what could be happening that causes Lena _Luthor_ to make a scene? 

The attention makes her skin crawl but Jack’s stare of awe makes her find her voice again. “I don’t want trouble,” Lena says simply, “and I know you definitely won’t want that in Secondary next year. You’re going to Lex’s school, right?”

The mention of Lex’s name makes the bully visibly gulp. Turning red in the face, he pushes the container harshly back to Jack. “Whatever,” he mutters and walks away. His group of friends scurries off after him. 

“Assholes,” Lena scoffs.

“Hey, thanks for saving me,” Jack says, standing from his seat to lean across the table and sticks out his hand. “I’m Jack. Jack Spheer.”

A smile blooms across Lena’s face at the mention of his name. Kara wasn’t wrong. She gives his hand a firm shake, “Lena. Lena Luthor.”

“Wanna sit with me?” Jack offers, his look of awe never leaving his face.

Trusting in Kara’s word, Lena sits down. “So what is that? Can I try some?”

Jack flashes a huge, charming smile, “Yeah, I have some naan to go with it. Let’s share!’

//

When Lena returns to the estate in the summer, she meets Kara in the clearing and tells her all about her new friend. They talk, play, and eat together until Kara disappears, leaving behind new dates on in Lena’s journal. 

And it repeats every summer and winter throughout the years. Lena meets Karas of all ages ranging from twelve to thirty-two. And she herself ages. Ten, eleven, twelve, teens.

She tells her about school, helping Lex with experiments, and attending boring business meetings with her dad. “The meetings are the worst but Dad makes it up by letting me go to R&D and see all of our new projects!” a fourteen year old Lena gushes to a twelve year old Kara. 

She teaches the younger versions of Kara about different cultures she learns about at school. And recommends her different books that Kara asks her sister, Alex, to help her rent from the library. 

She learns about Alex, Eliza, Jeremiah, and Clark. She’s there for unusually quiet and sad fifteen year old Kara who tells her Alex is mad at her. Something happened to Jeremiah. She gets visits from fifteen year old Kara a lot, so she just plays the keyboard for her until she leaves again.

When Lena’s sixteen, the world learns about The Superman. A young dashing man with dark hair in a blue suit followed by a deep red cape that can stop bullets with his bare hands. A miracle. A hero. A seventeen year old Kara and her are walking through the forest -- a rare occurrence for them but Kara relented after Lena pouted -- when Lena brings it up. Her father and her brother are very much against the Superman. They think he’s a dangerous vigilante with too much power that shouldn’t go unchecked. Plus, he’s an undocumented alien. An alien!

“I mean I think they have a point about how dangerous he could be, but so far he’s been helping a lot of people. I read that Metropolis’ crime rates are dropping mad fast,” Lena says as she balances her way across a log. 

Kara’s been unusually quiet ever since Lena brought up the subject. “Kara?” Lena calls out but Kara seems more interested in the treetops. Lena tries again, louder, “Kar--”

A loud snap cuts her off before her feet are off the ground and she feels like she’s flying. A tree crashes to the forest floor thirty feet below her. Holy shit.

“What the fuck,” Lena gasps, quickly closing her eyes. It’s not that she’s terrified of heights, it’s just that she would very much prefer if her feet were on solid ground. At all times.

She reaches out and grasp firmly onto something. It takes her about a minute to stop hyperventilating and gain her bearings before she dares peep out. The ground is a lot closer. Less like thirty feet away and more like three. She looks up and sees Kara’s face far too close to hers. Immediately, she turns cherry red. Then she realizes her hands are wound tightly around Kara’s neck, and Kara’s warm hands are touching her back and thighs. Her ears catch on fire. 

“Umm,” she starts, having to clear her throat, “You can put me down now.”

It seems to take Kara a second to snap out of her stupor. She jumps as if she’s been struck by lightning and tears her gaze away from Lena. “Oh right!” she says quickly and lowers Lena’s leg so that she can stand. “Sorry!”

Lena sets her feet firmly on the ground and even does a little side shuffle to reassure herself she’s on solid, solid ground. She’s still very dangerously close to Kara though and her stupid years old crush flares up. She pushes it down because there were bigger elephants to address. Flying ones with super speed. 

“Kara,” Lena whispers, “Are you like him? The Superman?”

“I really wish everyone would drop the “The” already,” Kara scoffs as she starts to pace around, creating distance between them and unknowingly allowing Lena to breathe again, “It’s so stupid. Just say Superman.”

“Kara,” Lena says again. Her tone mimics how her mom’s does when she doesn’t smile at her dad’s sleazy business partners at parties. “Kara, tell me the truth.”

Kara stops pacing, sighs, and puts her hands on her hips -- matching the iconic pose all over the newspapers and news channels. “Okay,” she sighs. “Okay.”

And Kara tells her. She tells her about Krypton, a planet in another galaxy that revolved around a red sun. She tells her that Krypton blew up when she was twelve and Kal-El was a baby. About how her parents and Kal-El’s parents put them both in pods. How her parents told her to protect him. 

And how she got lost.

How she got lost for twenty-one years in static space and didn’t age. Then she crash landed onto Earth twenty-one years too late. Her cousin was a grown man even though she helped changed his diapers three days ago. Apparently three days and twenty-one years ago.

Her planet was gone. Her parents were gone. And her purpose was gone.

Then his man -- this stranger -- tells her in what sounds like a robot speaking Kryptahniuo that she has _abilities_ here under a yellow sun. And that’s all he gets in before her senses are _assaulted_.

The lights were blinding -- phasing in and out of people’s _skin_ . The noise was deafening -- she could hear thousands of people talking even though they were alone in the middle of a field. And everything was just too, too _much._

“Then he dropped me off at the Danvers. He told me he was too young to take care of a teenager. He told me he found a family for me. But _he_ was my family and he didn’t _want_ me,” Kara utters out between clenched teeth, clenching her fists tightly.

“Two weeks later, an older me popped up and told me another great thing about this stupid yellow sun. Then, I travelled for the first time and met you,” Kara finishes, trying to smile at Lena but it’s a pitiful attempt.

And Lena feels her heart break. She’s no stranger to loneliness and feeling out of place. In fact, she had to learn it at a very young age during her first year as a Luthor. Her new mom wouldn’t speak to her unless it was to reprimand her. Lex resented her at first. And her dad would just stare at her with guilty eyes. Still, she couldn’t imagine losing her family. Her whole world. 

She’s not sure what to do to comfort Kara. To help her in any way. Still, her feet pull her towards Kara, like a magnet, closing the distance between them. Gently, she takes one of Kara’s closed fist and unravels her fingers, one by one, and laces her own through them. Then, she reaches for the other and Kara comes willingly, offering her hand. And Lena holds it firmly just for a second before letting it go to wipe a tear away from Kara’s cheek.

“So, you can do what he does?” she whispers softly as she gently strokes away the tear stains.

“Yeah,” Kara nods, leaning more into the warmth of Lena’s hand. “But they won’t let me do what he does. My _condition_ makes me too unpredictable.”

Ignoring the latter part, Lena continues even softer, “Can you show me? Again?”

Kara blinks at her through her eyelashes. Once. Twice. Then nods again. She presses a kiss into Lena’s palm before bringing it around her neck. Then she brings the hand clasped in her own to the same spot. “I need you step on my feet and hold on.”

Lena does as she’s told and slowly, yet surely they begin to float. Not far above the ground but still, _they’re flying_.

They stay like that for a bit. Lena’s hands around Kara’s neck. Kara’s arms wrapped around her waist. Lena’s feet on top of Kara’s insteps. Then Kara starts to hum. It takes a bit for Lena to recognize it as a song Lena played for her often as a kid. Then Kara shifts her foot and Lena yelps, tightening her grip around Kara and bracing her head against Kara’s strong shoulder. “Hey, hey I got you,” Kara mumbles against her temple. She feels Kara tighten her own grip around her body. 

Relaxing into Kara’s sturdy body, she lets Kara lead them into a familiar step. A waltz. “Eliza said learning how to ballroom dance would help my coordination,” Kara explains. Lena nods against her shoulder. And they stay like that, dancing a foot above the ground as Kara hums.

A lot sooner than Lena likes, she starts to feel the warmth of Kara’s hand against her back disappear. “Going already?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Kara says as she lowers them back to the forest floor. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.” 

And maybe it’s the summer air that makes Lena feel like she’s invincible. Or it’s that today she learned that the impossible is possible, and its embodiment is standing before her. Or maybe it’s the way Kara’s looking at her. Either way, Lena does the stupidest thing. 

She leans in for a kiss.

Her eyes are closed but she hears Kara make a small squeak in surprise. 

When she opens her eyes, Kara’s gone. 

But she swears she felt Kara kiss her back.

//

An eighteen year old Kara comes back only three days later. A very, very rare occasion because Lena usually waits two weeks at the minimum for her visits. They’re playing chess and Lena’s trying her best to ignore the very large elephant in the room since Kara may not even remember what happened from what would be over a year ago for her.

“So-”

“I-”

They both awkwardly giggle. “Sorry, you go first,” Lena says.

“Oh no, I was just wondering why you were so quiet today,” Kara teases as she moves her rook.

Lena flushes, fidgeting with her hands in her lap, “Well, umm, I wanted to talk because -- well the last time you were here we… we kissed?” She ends it like a question and refuses to look Kara in the eyes.

But if she were to look at Kara, she would see that Kara’s a fish out of water. 

“OH! Oh! Was that?” Kara’s voice pitches as she also turns beet red, “That was _that_ visit.”

“Oh,” Lena says before her brain could stop her mouth, “So you did kiss me back.”

Kara, resembling a firetruck, nods. “Yeah, uhh, you’re very pretty -- I mean, yes, I did.”

“Oh, okay, good.”

The awkward silence is back in full force as they both sit frozen in place -- mortified at themselves. 

Lena cracks first. Swallowing her fear, she clenches her jaw and pushes the chessboard out of her way. Then she moves towards Kara and cups her jaw. Kara stares back at her like a deer in headlights, nonetheless Lena closes her eyes and leans in, just like last time. 

She hears Kara squeak just like last time but instead of warm lips, she feels a whoosh of air in her face. “What the,” she utters as she opens her eyes and sees Kara flat on her back, stiff as a board. Miraculously, she somehow didn’t fall with Kara’s sudden disappearance no longer anchoring her. Instead, she hovers over Kara. “I don’t understand. You just called me pretty.”

“You’re a minor!” Kara sputters, pointing a finger in her face.

“I -- okay,” Lena says, sitting back up. Kara pulls herself back into a sitting position and scoots a very noticeable distance from Lena.

“It’s not you. It’s me!” Kara blurts but still refuses to look Lena in the eyes

Burying any insecurities, Lena accuses, “I feel like you’re hiding something from me.”

Kara goes through a journey of faces as if trying to find a version of herself that has an excuse before settling on: “I can’t tell you.”

Lena quirks a brow, “You can’t tell me … what?” 

“Ha! Nice try, but not this time, Lena!” Kara yells, clearing becoming unhinged. She gets up and paces. “Even if I told you, it’ll happen anyways. So, I can’t tell you.”

“What?” Okay, time traveling, Lena can roll with. Superpowers sure. But this. This might be her breaking point.

“Yep, okay, good talk,” Kara nods to herself more than anything.

Before Lena can tell her how stupid she is, Kara disappears.

//

The next time Lena sees Kara it’s mid-October when she should be in school.

“You knew!” Lena seethes. “You knew and you hid it from me. You _lied_ to me!”

Twenty-two year old Kara looks at her full of guilt. “Lena,” she tries but Lena won’t let her. She may be just a teenager but she advanced on the older Kara like a lioness. “You lied to me for _years_. How could you? I trusted you!”

“Lena,” Kara says again, voice pleading, “Even if I had told you, Lex was too far gone.”

Lena shakes her head. No, she’s wrong. Lex was fine! He was fine. She would have noticed if something was wrong with him. “He was my brother! I loved him! I could have--”

Kara cuts her off, “You couldn’t have saved Lex. No one could have.”

“You robbed me from being able to try! If I knew, I could have at least _tried._ ” 

Lena wants to hit her. Just bang her hands against Kara’s strong frame. Her lying stupid time traveling frame. But she knows it’s just be like throwing a pebble against a brick wall. So she uses her words instead to cut deep. “I never want to see you again. Do you hear me? I’m never coming back here again.”

She gives Kara one last look. Her eyes burning, but she refuses to cry. Not in front of her. And especially not for him. 

Not for what he did.

//

On October 31st, 2009, Lena Luthor attends the infamous trial for her brother, Lex Luthor, who is charged on fifty-five counts of first degree murder following his attempt to kill Superman by leering him into a building laced with kryptonite -- a substance he claimed would kill “this alien abomination” -- and then set off a bomb. 

The plan was for Lex to swoop in with his new Lexosuit and save the day, ruining the Superman’s reputation and unveiling him to be the “ostentatious outsider masquerading as a god to mankind” but it backfired. Luckily, Superman was able to pull the fire alarm to evacuate most of the building, but the blast took out the entirely of the top floor. Miraculously, and to Lex’s utter contempt, Superman survives.

On November 6th, 2009, in the most widely followed trial of the century, Lex Luthor is declared guilty for first-degree murder on fifty-five counts and sentenced to maximum life imprisonment without parole.

On November 7th, 2009, Lionel Luthor suffers a fatal stroke. The funeral is held two weeks later.

That year, at the age of seventeen, Lena takes her exit exams early, passing with flying colors. She takes the next cycle for entrance into university and begins her attendance at Oxford. It takes some work and convincing, but her status and scores still land her a spot, despite the need to isolate herself from her peers. As long as it gets her a degree, it’ll do.

After November 7th, 2009, Lena Luthor stops going back to the Luthors’ holiday estate in Metropolis. 

As for Kara? Well, to hell with her.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be another part. And we will address the grooming that seems to happen in the original work because we don't stan that sort of stuff!!!


End file.
